Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment and Reflective Function: A Revision

Keywords

Infant’s attachment
adult’s attachment
intergenerational transmission of attachment
reflective function
sensibility

How to Cite

Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment and Reflective Function: A Revision. (2017). Terapia Psicológica, 27(1), 113-118. https://teps.cl/index.php/teps/article/view/212

Abstract

The research about intergenerational transmission of attachment has reported strong associations between the adult and child patterns of attachment. Evidence has shown parent’s sensibility as an important precursor of infant’s security. Nevertheless the transmission gap still isn’t clear. Some authors have suggested the reflective function of the mother as a variable that could explain the gap. This article offers a discussion about this issue, showing some evidence that supports reflective function, and it’s behavioral aspects in the mother-child early relationship, as an essential dimension in the explanation of the transmission. Finally we discuss the relevance of considering this evidence in the design of preventive interventions.